Jeremy Lin's personality wins flight attendants' hearts

2012/08/04 16:17:58

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) NBA sensation Jeremy Lin's basketball skills have made him a star, but it is his personality and charisma that capture people's hearts, stewardesses that attended him from San Francisco to Taipei said Saturday.

Lin, the first NBA player of Taiwanese descent, arrived in Taiwan on a China Airlines flight early Saturday. During the 12-hour flight, Lin was very amiable, "just like the boy next door," the flight attendants said.

The 23-year-old point guard signed autographs and wrote "I love China Airlines" on the cabin door when he boarded flight number CI-003 with his family, they said.

After taking off from California, Lin prepared ice packs for his right knee and took a rest, the cabin service director said, adding Lin is a very well-mannered and humble person.

Lin was scheduled to meet with local fans at an event organized by his sponsors at 6 p.m. in the Ximenting area of Taipei, a popular hangout for teenagers.

On Sunday, he will attend a news conference at 2 p.m. in Taipei's upscale Hsinyi District.

This will be Lin's first visit to Taiwan since his meteoric rise from obscurity with the New York Knicks earlier this year and his recent signing of a three-year, US$25 million contract to play for the Houston Rockets.

After his commitments on Sunday, Lin will fly to China for a basketball camp. He will return to Taiwan to host a similar camp for a group of 120 young players Aug. 27-30.

Lin will also attend an evangelical gathering hosted by a local television station on Sept. 2.